Half-hose garter



May 5, 1925. I 1,536,471

. F. E. BROWNE HALF HOSE GAR'I'ERS Filed Dec. 31, 1923 Patented May 5,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

FRELEIGH E. BRQWNE, OF RIDGEFIELI) F'Altfti, NEW JERSEY.

HALF-HOSE GARTIER.

Application filed December 31,1923. SerialNo. 683,555.

To all whom it may camera:

Be it known that I, FRELEIGH E. BRoWNn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ridgefield Park, in the county of Bergen and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Half- HoseGarters, of which the following is a specification, reference being badtherein to usuallelastic webbing or cords.

In a half hose garter embodying my invention, I employ an ordinary claspfor attachment adjacent the top of the hose and a leg strap ofnon-elastic material, these parts being so connected that the leg bandwlllbe drawn sufficiently tight about the leg to properly support thehose as a result of the stresses upon the clasp developed during andWhile the garter is being adjusted to the hose and the wearern aTheconstruction is such that play of the largement or reduction of theloop or bight of the leg strap,enlargement of thisbight applyingmechanical stresses to the half hose through the clasp in" a manner tocause the immediate shortening. of the loop or bight, when'conditionsare such as to permit the reduction of the bight.

The connecting means between the leg 7 strap and the clasp are soconstructed and combined as to ensure the desired freedom of movement ofthe parts of this mechanism while, at the same time, avoiding anypossibility of wear upon the flexible-parts of the garter (to-operatingtherewith, thus not only preventing excessive wear of these parts, butalso avoiding the objectionable loosening of the leg strap due to thefailure of fother parts of the garter to properly function.

The invention. consists primarily in a half hose garter embodyingtherein a pair of crossed levers, a pivotal connection between said.levers,a leg strap, one end of which is connected with one arm of one ofsaid levers, the other end of which is adapted to be connected with theadjacent arm of the other lever, aclasp adapted to be connected with thehalf hose to besupported, and flexible connections between said claspand the other arms of said levers respectively, whereby an enlargementin the ,bight of said leg strap will develop an upward pull upon saidclasp, and the slack resulting from a reduction in the size of saidbight will be automatically taken up as a result of the downward pullupon said levers by the half hose through said clasp and said flexibleconnections; and in such other novel features of constructionHHClCOlIlblllZtlllOll of parts as are hereinafter set forth anddescribed and more particularly pointed out in the claims heretoappended. I

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a viewof a half hose garter embodying my invention, showing indotted lines the position of parts upon the enlargements of the bight inthe leg strap, and

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Like letters refer to like parts through- In the embodiment of myinvention shown 1n the drawings, I employ a leg strap a wlnch may becomposed of fabric out both ofsaid views.

webbing, leather, or any other material not leg muscles of the wearerWlll. cause the enhaving incorporated therein rubber threads or otherthreads to impart elasticity thereto.

The less stretch there is to this material, the

more desirable it is for the purposes of' loop 0 at one end of thestrap. a

At (Z I have shown an ordinary construction of clasp for attachn'lent tohalf hose adjacent the top thereof.

A suitable connecting mechanism between the clasp (Z and the strap aisprovided, which mechanism is so constructed. and combined as to permitthe necessary constant variation in the length of the bight formed bythe strap a when attaching the garterto the wearer, and utilize theelasticity inherentto half hose for drawing this loop lightly about theleg of the wearer and maintaining a substantially uniform pressurenotwithstanding the constant slight variation inthe size of this bight.

The connecting means above referred to includes therein a pair of crosslevers c and f pivotally connected at g in a manner to permit the freerelative movement of those levers. One arm a of one these'levers c hasslot therein at 6 through which one end of the strap a is passedandsecured to the strap adjacent the lever, in a manner to permanentlyconnect one end or thestrap to said lever. The arm f of the other leverf, and the "free end of the strap, are pro vided withcooperatihg meansby which-this free end may be detachably connected to said arm f, thismeans, in the form of the invention shown, consisting of an openingadapted to receive an ordinary hook'h'aving a slot therein tlnough whichthe portion of the strap a formin the loop '0, is passed. Thisconstruction is that ordinarily employed for pern'iitting adjustn'ientof the leg strap of the garter to the wearer, while pern'iittingadjustment as to the length of the leg strap.

The other arms a and f of the levers c and 7 respectively areconnectedto the clasp (Z by means of a nonelastic cord or cords ii, themanner of connecting this cord or cords being immaterial, although inthe form of the invention shown, a continuous cord is shown, passingthrough openings in the clasp and having its opposite endsconnected withthe'lever arms 0. and f respcctively. A sliding movement of this cord isundesirable and unnecessary.

The levers c and may be made of highly polished metal, celluloid, or anyother suitahle substantially rigid material, which will peri'uit thedesired scissors action of these levers, or the movement oi one of themwith relation to the other,or sin'iultaneous movement of both of saidlovers in relation to each other.

11 desired a back plate or washer 2'- may be used to space thelever'arms away from the wearer, it being possible to have this plate orwasher firmly connected toone of said levers, as f, or have itindependent 01' said lever and secured in relation thereto by means ofthe pivot g.

A half hose garter embodying my invention when in use, notwithstandingthe absence of any elastic material such as rubber, in any oi the partsthereof, will have suliicient flexibility as to the leg strap toautomatically adjust itself to the wearer, notwithstanding constant-movement of the leg muscles due to change of posture.

In the Q-VEDll Ojf the enlargement of the leg, the strain upon the legstrap a'will exert a pull upon the opposite lever arms a and f whichwill cause these arms to separate with aresultant suilicient enlarge--ment in the bight formed in the strap to relieve the pressure uponthe-leg. A-separation oi the arms 0 and will cause a slack is formed inthe bight of the strap (4 as a result of a change of posture of thewearer, there will be a slight downward pull upon the cords h which willresult in a reversal in the direction of movement ot thelev'ers'c and soas to auton'iatically take up this slack and thus adjust the leg stra tothe changed conditions.

The movements of the levers c and will never be great, but will besufficient to ensure comfort to the wearer ot the garter and avoid anylikelihood of the strap becomingsufficiently loose to ailord the desired support to the half hose.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the preciseconfiguration of the levers'e and as shown in the drawings, nor to theparticular form 01'? clasp or leg strap adjustingdevic'e, since it isapparent that such may be varied without departing from the'sp'irit andscope'ol the invention. Having described the invention, what I claim'asnew and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. A hall hose garter en'ibodying therein a pair otcrossed levers,apivotal connection between said levers, a leg strap, one end oi. whichis connected with one arm of one of saidlcvers, theotherenil of whichadapted to be connected with the adjacent arm of the other lever, aclasp adapted to be connected with the half hose to be su 'iportcd, andflexibleconnections between said clasp and theother arms of said leversrespectively, whereby an enlargement in the bight of said leg strap willdevelop an upward pull 'upon said clasp,and the slackrcsulting from areduction in the size of said bight will be automatically taken up as aresult of the downward pull upon said levers by the half hose throughsaid clasp and said flexible connections.

2. A half hose garterembodyingtherein a pair of crtissed-levers, apivotal connection between said levers, a plate carried by saidlevers'and adapted tob'e interposed between same and the wearer, a legstrap, one end oi which is connected with one arm ot'onc (it saidlovers, the other end of which is adapted leg strap will develop'anupward pull upon said clasp, and the slack resulting from a reduction inth'e'size of said bight will be automatically taken up as a result ofthe downward pullupon said levers by the half hose through said claspand said flexible connections.

3. A half hose garter embodying therein ajpair of crossed levers, apivotal connection between said levers, a leg strap, one end of which isconnected with one arm of one of said levers, the other end of which isadapted to be connected with the adjacent arm of the other lever, meanswhereby the length of said leg strap may be adjusted, a clasp adapted tobe connected with the half hose to be supported, and flexibleconnections between said clasp and the other arms of said leversrespectively, whereby an enlargement in the bight of said leg strap willdevelop an upward pull upon said clasp, and the slack resulting -from areduction in the size of said bight will. be automatically taken up as aresult of the downward pull upon said levers by the half hose throughsaid clasp and said flexible connections.

4. A. half hose garter embodying therein a pair of crossed levers, apivoted connection between said levers, a plate carried by said leversand adapted to be interposed between sameand the wearer, a leg strap,one end of which is connected with one arm of one of said levers, theother end of which is adapted to be connected with the adjacent arm ofthe other lever, means whereby the length of said leg strap may beadjusted, a clasp adapted to be connected with the half hose to besupported, and flexible connections belevers by the half hose throughsaid clasp and said flexible connections.

In witness whereof I have hereunto atfixed my signature, in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses, this 29th day of December, 1923.

rnELnIei-i n. BROWNE.

Witnesses FRIEDA :KOEI-ILER, CAROLINE BRANDEL.

